Basic research of the effect of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells for chronic pain.

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K20114
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Anesthesiology
• Research Institution: Dokkyo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Masaya Imanishi 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (00570376)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 神経因性疼痛 / 脂肪由来間葉系幹細胞 / 自発痛 / アロディニア / 絞扼性神経損傷モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We verify whether adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) transplantation improves spontaneous pain in a rat model of neuropathic pain.
Chronic constriction injury (CCI) model rats were created by surgical maneuver. A total of 20 F344 rats underwent surgery and were divided into 2 groups, the ADMSCs group and the control group. One week after CCI surgery, ADMSCs were transplanted into the epineurium of the damaged nerve. The effects of ADMSCs transplantation were evaluated by the number of spontaneous pain-related behaviors and the degree of mechanical allodynia. ADMSCs transplantation improved mechanical allodynia on and after 7-day post-transplantation and spontaneous pain on and after 21-day post-transplantation with the statistically significant differences.
ADMSCs transplantation improved not only mechanical allodynia but also spontaneous pain.

Free Research Field

形成外科学　疼痛学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神経因性疼痛の発症率は全人口の6.9-10％程度と推定されており、その高い罹患率にも関わらず、現在治療として行われている薬物治療、理学療法、認知療法、神経ブロック等は十分な効果を上げているとは言い難い。本研究では、ADMSC移植により、神経因性疼痛モデルラットの自発痛関連行動が減少することが示された。この結果は、動物実験と臨床の間の疼痛評価方法の不一致を解消し、臨床においてADMSC移植が神経障害性疼痛の有効な治療法となる可能性を押し上げたと考える。